In an opinion column published on August 10, 2026, commentator Drexwell Seymour urged the government to implement a delayed land policy to stop Turks and Caicos Islanders from becoming permanently priced out of property ownership. He called on Cabinet to enact the Limiting the Sale of Residential Land and Property Policy, which ministers approved earlier in the year.
Seymour noted that Cabinet approved the policy in a Post-Cabinet Statement on February 25, 2026, yet more than five months passed without enforcement. Rising real estate prices across the territory make finding affordable parcels difficult for young locals, first-time buyers, and small business owners. He argued that foreign investors should retain access to higher-valued developments, while parcels below a government-determined price threshold should be reserved exclusively for citizens. Seymour also warned against subdividing land into very small parcels, cautioning that unmanaged density risks creating overcrowded settlements.
To make the policy work, Seymour recommended setting the price cutoff after assessing the market and consulting the public. He also urged the government to require buyers to develop their land within a reasonable timeframe to prevent land banking and speculative holding.